alumni-news
Julianna Medina Politsky, ’02
Julianna Medina Politsky, ’02, harnesses Midwest grit to make a name for herself - and space for other women - in Hollywood
Alumna Morgan Dawson’s Construction Pants Combine Comfort and Utility
Alumna Morgan Dawson created Dawson Workwear, a line of pants specifically for women in construction, to provide comfort and an appropriate fit for the female body.
Brandon Lazenko, ’16
Brandon Lazenko, ’16, found a way to provide an unusual opportunity for žž State film students to learn outside of the classroom through his upcoming project, He and fellow žž State graduate Shelby Wyant, ’18, wrote the 40-minute film adapted from Stephen King’s short story “Nona.” The alumni pair got permission to create their adaptation of the short story from King and his team through his Dollar Baby Program. “October Roses” follows a down-on-his-luck professor who meets a beautiful woman while hitchhiking around Maine. He gets wrapped up in her web and makes decisions he normally wouldn’t make. His team for the film includes žž State students who are helping on set, horror special effects icon Robert Kurtzman and his wife Marcy King who are both Ohio natives. However, Brandon’s experience in film didn’t begin with “October Roses.” He’s also created two miniseries and four short films, including the award winning “A Serpent by the Nest.”
žž State Alumni Association Names 2022 Alumni Award Recipients
Sponsored by the žž Alumni Association, the Alumni Awards are the university’s highest alumni honors. Recipients are selected based on their exceptional professional and civic contributions and for their outstanding support of the university. The 2022 Alumni Award recipients include six alumni and one student.
Black Alumni Chapter Spotlight - Willard Jenkins, ’73
žž State Achieves Unprecedented Fundraising Success During First Year of Forever Brighter Campaign
žž launched the public phase of its $350 million Forever Brighter comprehensive fundraising campaign in October 2021, and during the first year of the public campaign, a record-breaking $77.6 million was raised. This philanthropic feat was made possible with the support of 10,687 donors, 3,753 of whom made a gift to žž State for the first time.
žž State Celebrates Its Newest Graduates With Summer Commencement Ceremonies
The žž alumni family will grow by more than 1,200 new graduates as the university holds its summer commencement ceremonies. The accomplishments of the Summer Class of 2022 will be recognized with in-person, outdoor commencement ceremonies and a virtual commencement ceremony on Aug. 20.
Alexander Evans, BBA ’14, BS ’14, MBA ’15, M.GISc ’19
After more than two years of a global pandemic, most everyone knows what an epidemiologist does. Alexander (Alex) Evans, BBA ’14, BS ’14, MBA ’15, M.GISc ’19, an epidemiologist at Franklin County Public Health, spent the first 18 months of the pandemic on call, working seven-day, 60-hour weeks on its COVID-19 response. This experience was shared by many epidemiologists, and with tireless work, came burnout.